upend

[ uhp-end ]

/ ʌpˈɛnd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR upend ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to set on end, as a barrel or ship.

to affect drastically or radically, as tastes, opinions, reputations, or systems.

to defeat in competition, as in boxing or business.

verb (used without object)

to become upended.

to place the body back-end up, as a dabbling duck.

Nearby words

updike, john, updo, updraft, updraught, updrift, upend, upf, upfold, upfront, upgather, upgrade

Origin of upend

First recorded in 1815–25; up- + end¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for upend

It is a revolutionary story, which threatens to upend the world as we know it.
Jesus Wasn’t Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would inject a threat of accountability into power, and upend the impunity wartime leaders had operated under for years.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’|Nina Strochlic|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In August, Sen. Ted Cruz linked the need to upend the IRS to its abuse of power.
Huckabee: ‘A Tax Is Punishment’|Lloyd Green|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
[S]omething larger is going on here, which could upend everything and produce unintended consequences.
There Are No “True” Independent Voters in American Politics|Jamelle Bouie|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The one event that could upend that is an encore from a passive, disengaged Obama.
Robert Shrum on the Vice Presidential Debate: Biden’s Win Was a Big F@$&ing Deal|Robert Shrum|October 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is safe, as we will never meet again, and all ideas of justice will upend in the coming cataclysm.
The Sequel|George A. Taylor
The log plunges after him, holding him down and back till he drowns; and his whereabouts are revealed by the upend of the tree.
The Story of the Trapper|A. C. Laut

British Dictionary definitions for upend

upend

/ (ʌpˈɛnd) /

verb

to turn or set or become turned or set on end

(tr) to affect or upset drastically

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012